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Help! Piece of Gasket Fell Into Intake...

13K views 11 replies 10 participants last post by  RPMs 
#1 ·
This is embarrasing and I don't know what to do. I figure there is alot of engine experience here and you guys might have a good idea.

This is a ford 302 w/ a trick flow upper/lower intake.

I had the upper off to replace me injectors. The gasket got messed up and I had to replace it. I plugged the lower intake with paper towel to keep any crud of of them when I cleaned off the gasket. I vacummed the crud out of the paper towel before I pulled them out but I still managed to watch a flake of gasket fall into the lover intake. I can't see/reach it. In the brief time I had to watch it fall into the intake it looked to be no more than 1/4" od and it is just a layer of the gasket and not full thickness. This is a paper upper intake gasket.

Some are saying I have to pull the heads and find it or else I'm gonna score my cylinder walls. Others are saying the since it is paper that will get sucked out into the exhaust and won't hurt the engine.

Someone even suggested poring gas into the cylinder and lighting it to burn up the gasket...I won't be doing that...

Any opinions. Any help would be great. Thanks.
 
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#2 ·
paper burns well during the power stroke

paper is way to smooth to score metal

if my chrysler 3.0 could still run after chewing on a 10mm nut for - basicly - a wek of driving, youll be fine with a lil paper casket material
 
#4 ·
jpelli said:
Agree with Lowroller a piece of gasket will not hurt .
***edabodit

But, if you have really paranoid thougts, fix up a shop vacuum cleaner nozzle attachment with a length of 3/8 hose taped to it and try to suck it out Put a piece screening on the outlet inside the vac to see if it comes out. If it doesn't.... it will burn nicely in the 1200 degree combustion heat.
Dave
 
#5 ·
Ok! That is kinda what I figured but I'm being a paranoid freek cause this is my baby and I've only had it a couple of months. (1990 5.0 Mustang, Notch).

I'll try to suck it out w/ a vac. but if she doesn't come I'm leaving it in there.

I'm working out of the parkade in my apartment building so I was really not looking forward to pulling heads. It's enough work having to haul my tools back up to the apartment every night.

The guys on the mustang forum would have had me pulling the damm thing apart.

Thanks.
 
#6 ·
You could also try a little compressed air, blow it in is spirts and the gasket will come flying out. The vacuum will work as well, just tape (duct tape works well and make sure it's completely sealed) a length of rubber hose to the end of the vacuum nozzle, stick it in your port/manifold and it will get it out.
 
#7 ·
I don't know about paper gasket chunks, but fresh-picked cotton bolls will live for a short period inside a Ford Y-block that's running at full throttle. It does leave a trail of sparks, though.

I'd be worried it'd stick under a valve, but I've never heard of it actually happening.
 
#9 ·
Missing gasket part

Like they say on TV don't worry about it. We accidentally left several blue paper rags in a blower intake and put the blower on and started the motor when we noticed blue confetti coming out the zoomies on a fuel altered. We ran a leak down to check for damage and there was none. Other than feeling lucky and embarrassed no Damage was ever done.
I'd put it together and just fire it up like normal. I'm sure that the only thing that could happen is the paper getting cut up by the valves closing on the seat and that will go away very quickly.
 
#11 ·
They were fresh-picked by the bumper, grill, and front suspension parts of a '63 Ford pickup during a 70-mph autumn excursion through a cotton field back in 1968. Some of them stayed in the engine or exhaust system (single glasspack) long enough to get belched out into the street afterwards, still smoldering.

Air filter? We don't need no stinkin' air filter, it sounds better without it.:D
 
#12 ·
I did that on a Small block chevy. The little peice of gasket got stuck on the face of the intake valve. No compression no fire. It would not go thru the motor. I ended up pulling the head and taking the valve out to get the gasket. But I would go ahead and gamble that it will go thru the motor. It won't hurt anything either way. Worst that will happen is you end up pulling the head... Good luck let us know how this works out.
 
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